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Chet Wautlands
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
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 Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:46 am Post subject: Getting a university job with a distance M.A. |
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Hello all
I'm currently doing a distance M.A. from the University of Missouri. My focus is in TESOL. Next year I plan on applying for a university job and I'm not too concerned on location (proximity).
So, as you might have guessed, I was wondering if anyone had managed to find work with a distance M.A. in Korea. Was it an issue? Were you ever asked about it?
I would have loved to do an in-class M.A., but financially it would have been a disaster.
Also, I have been in Korea for three years now and am pretty much conversational in Korean. I have friends who do not speak English and I do a lot of basic translating for people at my school, but I cannot understand the news. Let's say I'm a "high-beginner". Would that be worth mentioning in a university application or would it be largely unimpressive/unnecessary?
Thanks for your sincere responses
Chet |
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mattdsoares
Joined: 04 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:27 am Post subject: |
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| Most if not all of the major universities that offer degrees online, such as Mizzou give you a degree that is 100% identical to the degree you'd get if you went to lectures on campus. So it shouldn't be an issue for you. It's the same degree someone on campus would get, so they will only know it was distance learning if you volunteer that information. |
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liveinkorea316
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| mattdsoares wrote: |
| Most if not all of the major universities that offer degrees online, such as Mizzou give you a degree that is 100% identical to the degree you'd get if you went to lectures on campus. So it shouldn't be an issue for you. It's the same degree someone on campus would get, so they will only know it was distance learning if you volunteer that information. |
They will work it out since he will have documented work in Korea during the time his degree was supposedly completed. If you could get around that issue it might work though. |
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willteachforfood
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:46 am Post subject: |
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| You can get a university job without an M.A. full stop....so yes, you'll easily be able to get a university job with your online Masters....you'll do fine. |
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jaeimseu
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:59 am Post subject: |
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It is possible to get a university job without a master's degree, especially if location is not high on your list of priorities. If you look at the job board here at dave's you can find uni jobs that don't require a master's, so I would guess that an online master's would put you ahead of the bachelor's only people in most cases.
Even an on-site master's doesn't guarantee a job. A friend of mine has an ivy league master's in education and, although he did get a few offers, he didn't even get called in for an interview in some cases. Competition is pretty stiff these days. I think you'd better be able to interview well and/or do a good teaching demo regardless of the degree(s) you possess. |
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sigmundsmith
Joined: 22 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:44 am Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| You can get a university job without an M.A. full stop....so yes, you'll easily be able to get a university job with your online Masters....you'll do fine. |
Although this is true the university gigs that are advertised are usually in country areas and pay can be (and usually are) considerably lower than in the city. It is vary rare to see a university position in a major city advertising that a BA is sufficient.
But if you are willing to live a year in the middle of no-where (I did) then it is possible. It is a good way to get your foot in the door. |
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Thiuda
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Location: Religion ist f�r Sklaven geschaffen, f�r Wesen ohne Geist.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:27 am Post subject: Re: Getting a university job with a distance M.A. |
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| Chet Wautlands wrote: |
| So, as you might have guessed, I was wondering if anyone had managed to find work with a distance M.A. in Korea. Was it an issue? Were you ever asked about it? |
I have an MA in Applied Linguistics that I did by distance. In job interviews I always make it clear that I did my degree while working and it has never been an issue. In fact, I received positive feedback from several hiring committees. My distance MA has garnered me three uni jobs so far, so I don't think you'll have to worry.
My advice, don't be defensive about your credentials - they're just as good as MAs done residentially - tell the hiring committee that your MA was by distance and why that was the better way for you to go.
Congrats on finishing up your MA and good luck in your job search. |
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cyui
Joined: 10 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:42 am Post subject: |
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Hi Thiuda,
What does your name mean(�iudo, �eudō? �iuda, or Theod (Theo, "God') etc? |
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| My distance degree was looked down upon in interviews somewhat, so I really had to convince the interview panels how it would add to my teaching. Having had prior uni teaching experience did also help. That latter point may be more important now there is more competition for uni gigs by MA holders than ever. There are also a LOT of unis that hire by connections over qualifications, too. But if you can sell yourself well, you still have a chance to get a foot in somewhere. |
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Poker
Joined: 16 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| Hotpants wrote: |
| My distance degree was looked down upon in interviews somewhat, so I really had to convince the interview panels how it would add to my teaching. Having had prior uni teaching experience did also help. That latter point may be more important now there is more competition for uni gigs by MA holders than ever. There are also a LOT of unis that hire by connections over qualifications, too. But if you can sell yourself well, you still have a chance to get a foot in somewhere. |
This is what I am worried about. I am also looking to do a distance MA (Applied Linguistics through Birmingham University). But I am scared that after studying away, while working too, for two years and spending a chunk of change, I get passed over in jobs because the interviewers look down on it. I would be mightily pissed off after all that effort. |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:42 am Post subject: |
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| Hotpants wrote: |
| My distance degree was looked down upon in interviews somewhat, so I really had to convince the interview panels how it would add to my teaching. Having had prior uni teaching experience did also help. That latter point may be more important now there is more competition for uni gigs by MA holders than ever. There are also a LOT of unis that hire by connections over qualifications, too. But if you can sell yourself well, you still have a chance to get a foot in somewhere. |
Can I ask which university you got your MA from? |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| Poker wrote: |
| Hotpants wrote: |
| My distance degree was looked down upon in interviews somewhat, so I really had to convince the interview panels how it would add to my teaching. Having had prior uni teaching experience did also help. That latter point may be more important now there is more competition for uni gigs by MA holders than ever. There are also a LOT of unis that hire by connections over qualifications, too. But if you can sell yourself well, you still have a chance to get a foot in somewhere. |
This is what I am worried about. I am also looking to do a distance MA (Applied Linguistics through Birmingham University). But I am scared that after studying away, while working too, for two years and spending a chunk of change, I get passed over in jobs because the interviewers look down on it. I would be mightily pissed off after all that effort. |
I never had this experience and I teach at a top 20 university in TESOL education, not English.
Not to say that it doesn't happen but the only case I have actually heard first hand was from one guy who applied to KAIST and heard that from them. Other than that there are dozens of Bham current and past students who are teaching at university level in Korea.
The parchment does not make any reference to 'distance learning.' It was a big selling point for me too back in 2006.
Bham also hold intensive workshops every summer where two of the lecturers come to Korea for a week. A lot of material and notes are covered then. Also, you can go to Bham and take some classes there if you want to speed up the process. Quite a few have done this especially during vacation. |
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cyui
Joined: 10 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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UMass has a good online MA in Applied Linguistics with an added ESOL concentration.
Are they more markekable then an MA in TESOL? |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| You can get a university job without an M.A. full stop....so yes, you'll easily be able to get a university job with your online Masters....you'll do fine. |
Right.
But "a university job" can mean so many different types of working conditions or contract conditions.
Will it get a job teaching 12 hours a week with the full 4 or 5 months paid vacation, with tenure-like conditions for 3 or 4 million won a month?
or...
Will it get you a job where you're teaching 35 hours a week for 1.7 million won a month and 10 days paid vacation?
These days, the phrase "A university job" is just too vague because of the dispairty of contract coditions at universities for foreign EFL teachers.
It could mean anything, really. In other words, careful what you wish for. |
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Can I ask which university you got your MA from? |
OU. I do remind interview panels that Korea also has it's own OU network with a whole TV channel devoted to it. Then they can see the association and start to get their heads around it.
I chose OU because it was the cheapest MA I could find without having to give up work. MUCH cheaper than Birmingham, which at the time I was looking into it equated to about 1 year's Korean salary. There are some face-to-face tutorials with the OU if you are in the UK. Reading materials were second to none, but I would definitely suggest doing an on-campus MA if you can, just because you get much more out of face-to-face discussion than online discussion imo. There was just never enough opportunity to consolidate all the fascinating ideas in the OU reading material, which means that a lot of the concepts can be quickly forgotten. |
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